Consequences of unauthorised absence from school

HooCanTellMee

Hi there,
We are in Dunfermline, our schools get Good Friday, but not the Monday!
Really wouldn't get stressed about one day off! If education is so important why waste a day on a Royal Wedding, can't see that as being more important than a child keeping in touch with their family! There is a difference between the odd day away and regularly keeping children off school. If mine have taken a day, we have always covered this with a note and offered to help catch up on any lessons that have been missed! If the school hasn't got anything better to do than chase up a one day absence they need to get their priorities sorted!

squashy

babyshoes wrote: »

Working in a school, I know how much leeway you will get before a fine is forthcoming - it is a lot. The absence rate has to be huge (we are talking well over 20%) before there is a fine, and you get warnings before that anyway.

I work in a school too, having some dealings with attendance, and I suspect various LAs are different. In addition, each school will have it's own rules. Why don't you phone and ask? You don't have to say who you are!

If it happened in my school, we would ask you to write a letter explaining the reason for absence which is then attached to the file. You would get a letter back explaining that it is unauthorised and details of what may happen in the future, which is this.

If a child has any ten sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence they will receive a penalty warning letter. Following this, if just one more unauthorised absence occurs this will trigger a fine, which is £50 per parent. Bear in mind that late after registration counts as unauthorised, as does being ill but not ringing the school. Basically it just means that your child will be under scrutiny.

The reason schools take the hard line approach is to discourage those who think it's an "entitlement", that it's ok to take up to ten extra days a year, or to tag an extra day onto each and every holiday. Schools are judged very harshly on attendance, for good reason- those with poor attendance achieve less.

In summary, take it on the chin that you will have one day unauthorised, but don't make a habit of it

zebra30

Wondering if anyone can help.

Can the non residental parent - WITH parental responsibilites be prosecuted for their child not going to school?

I was only told by the other parent 4 days before they recieved their summons how bad the attendance was. (Ihave very little contact with the child due to the Ex convescating his phone/pc and also moving to a new address without telling me. She has been the bain of my life for years and i can not wait until my child is old enough that i do not have to deal with her)

I have had no letters/calls from any authorities, I'm only responsible when it suits her, IE: shes crapping herself and now wants me to take the blame

Thanks

BitterAndTwisted

Let her continue to crap herself. You are a non-resident parent so how can you be prosecuted for it? It's not your job to ensure your kids go to school every day if they don't live with you unless you have accepted responsibility for turning up at their house each morning and taking them there. Which would have been rather difficult if they moved without telling you.

zebra30

Thats what i think aswell. She actually dumped her on our doorstep earlier in the year because she couldnt get her to go to school etc. Stayed with us for a week and went to school each day, then returned home and as far as i was aware that was still the case.

Must be pretty bad for it to have got to this stage, I cant imagine that she has had no support from the school/education welfare or social services - which is whats claimed

Seanymph

All schools have very regimented policies on procedures - even a governor allocated to work with absences and supervise the schools response, a teacher who will be detailed to work on it (usually the head at primary) and also LEA support. They will have a policy in place and your ex will have gone through the entire process to get to where she is.

[Deleted User]

Hmm. Isnt the fine £100 but 50% off if you pay within 14 days so £50?

Apart from arguing about the rights and wrongs, an average holiday for two weeks is going to be more than £50 cheaper outside school holidays surely?

Bluemeanie_2

I've not read the whole thread but I was highly annoyed with my step children's School. (I am the NRPW). When their Mum wanted to take them out of School for a week, they threatened allsorts. My Husband didn't mind, he just said if they both get a fixed penalty notice (it is not strictly speaking a "fine"), then she would have to pay his, which she agreed. Nothing happened they didn't do anything, and anyway, where we are, if they give you the fixed penalty notice and you don't pay, they haven't bothered to prosecute anyone.
Anyway, the reason I was annoyed, is they made her feel like a serial killer, going to a meeting allsorts for taking them out for a week, then a few weeks before Christmas we get a letter saying can the have permission for your children to watch 12a films as we show a video every afternoon in the last two weeks before Christmas!!!
So if teaching time is so precious how come they can watch 20 hours of TV at least?!!!